Electrical connecter



Patented Sept. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- 2,013,423 ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Claude W. Putnam, Green Bay, Wis. Application March 12, 1934, Serial No. 715,119

1 Claim.

{This invention appertains to electricity, and more particularly to electrical connecters, such as plugs, sockets, line couplings, and the like.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a novel electrical connecter, either of the plug, socket, or line coupling type, having a swivel connection therein, whereby free turning of the wires is permitted so as to prevent the twisting and entangling thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electrical connecter including the usual body, or casing, in which is freely rotatable a supporting sleeve carrying the terminals of the line wires, with novel means for forming an electrical connection between the terminals and the terminals to be connected therewith during the rotation of the supporting sleeve.

A further important object of my invention is to provide an electrical connecter embodying a casing having rigidly connected therein terminals for the lead-01f wires, with a sleeve rotatably mounted in the casing in a novel manner receiving the lead-in wires, the sleeve carrying the terminals for the lead-in wires, the terminals of the leadin and the lead-off wires being engaged in a novel manner to permit the free flow of current irrespective of the rotation of the sleeve.

A still further object of my invention is to providea swivel coupling of the above character,

which will be durable and eflicient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:-

Figure 1 is a. central, longitudinal section through an electrical connecter embodying my invention, the connecter being of the socket type for receiving a threaded plug, or base.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of an electrical connecter embodying my invention, the connecter being shown partly broken away and in section and of the prong plug type.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of an electrical connecter constructed in accordance with my invention, the connecter being shown partly broken away and in section and of the line coupling type.

Referring to the drawing in detail wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A I generally indicates one form of my improved electrical connecter. The connecter A embodies a housing, or casing, 5 formed of insulating'material, and this casing is preferably formed from inner and outer sections 6 and I to permit the assembling of the various parts of the connecter. 5 v

Suitably anchored within the cavity I0 is a metallic conductor shell l2 into-which isadapted 15 to be threaded an electrical connecter plug (not shown), the wires of. which may lead to any preferred type of electrical appliance.

Rotatably mounted within the bore 9 is an axially disposed, rotatable sleeve l3, and this 20 sleeve I3 is formed from fibre, or any other preferred kind of electrical insulating material. If desired, the outer end of the bore 9 of the section I can be provided with a bearing ferrule I4 for the sleeve l3. As shown in Figure 1, the sleeve 25 I3 extends entirely through theinner chamber II and terminates slightly short of the cavity l0.

Anchored to the sleeve i3 for rotation therewith is a bearing sleeve l5 carrying a bearing head Hi. The bearing sleeve l5 and the head iii are formed 30 of electrical conducting material, and the head I 6 is preferably of an annular cup shape, which is disposed in facing relation'to a similar annular conductor head II.

This conductor head I! is anchored in the 35 chamber I I, such as by the use of screws l8 which can also be employed for holding the shell l2 in place. These screws [8 also constitute means for electrically connecting theshell I 2 with the conductor head l1.

In order to permit free rotation of the head l6 relative to the head I! and still insure the proper flow of current between the two, an expansion coil spring [9 is placed about the insulating sleeve I3 between the heads l6 and I1. 45

The rotatable insulating sleeve l3 receives the electrical line wires 20 and 2|. The wire 20 is electrically connected to the bearing sleeve l5 through the medium of a fastening screw 22. This screw 22 extends through the, bearing sleeve 50 I5, the rotatable insulating sleeve l3, and into a terminal head carried by said wire 20.

Firmly anchored in the sleeve I3 is a central bearing contact 23. This bearing contact 23 closes the inner end of the sleeve I3 and prefe 55 erably, but not necessarily, carries the springpressed contact plunger 24. A screw can. be employed for holding the central contact to the rotatable sleeve.

The end of wire 2| is rigidly connected to the central'contact' and can be soldered thereto, if desired.

In use of my improved connecter, the electric plug is threaded into the shell l2, and the shell plug engages the shell l2 of the socket and the center contact of the plug engages the contact plunger 24.

Should any twisting movement occur in the wiresjthe casing 5 can freely rotate on the sleeve I3, or the sleeve I3 can freely rotate within the casing.

Due to the fact that the wires 20 and 2| are carried by the sleeve l3, the twisting and entangling of the wires is prevented during rotation of the sleeve l3 relative to the casing. The hearing head I6 rotates relative to the conductor head H, but the transmission of the current is insured in view of the coupling spring IS. The plunger 24 merely turns on the central contact of the plug.

In Figure 2, I have shown an electrical plug of the prong type, and this plug is constructed in the same manner as that form of my invention shown in Figure 1. Hence, the plug embodies the casing formed of insulating material rotatably receiving the fibre sleeve 3! to which is anchored the lead-in wires, and these wires are electrically connected respectively to the central contact head 23 and the bearing head I6.

Instead of providing the shell I2, I provide the conductor prongs 32 and 33. These prongs are held in place respectively by screws 34 and 35. The screw 34 likewise holds the conductor 7 The function of the plug shown in Figure 2 is identical with the function of the socket shown in Figure 1. g I

In Figure 3 of the drawing, I have shown my invention embodied in an electrical line coupling 40. The coupling 40 is identical with those forms of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the only difference being that the casing ll of the coupling is provided with binding posts 42 and 43 for receiving the terminals of the outgoing wires 44 and 45.

The post 42 is electrically connected with the conductor head I I, and the post 43 is provided with a base 46 for electrically engaging the central contact head '23. In this form the insulating sleeve I3 is freely rotatable, and hence twisting of the wires is prevented.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided a novel 'means for connecting electrical appliances with outlets and the like without twisting and breaking of the wires irrespective of the twisting movement of the wires incident to the use of the electrical appliances.

' Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of the inven-' tion, but what I claim as new is:

A swivel electrical connecter comprising ,8. cas ing embodying longitudinally alined, substantially cylindrical sections having adjacent ends abutting, means detachably connecting the sections together, one of said sections having an inner chamber and both of said sections having alined, axial bores communicating with the chamber," an insulating sleeve freely rotatable in the bores, an annular conductor head secured to the exterior of the sleeve for rotation therewith and disposed in said chamber, an annular conductor head disposed in the chamber around the sleeve and anchored to the walls of the chamber, an electrical conducting coil spring interposed between said heads, aside contact electrically connected with the head carried by the walls of the chamber, 

